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@nitrh E. L. PRATT, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. Letters Patent No. 72,898, dated December 31, 1867.

IMPROVED TOBACCO-CUTTER.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

' Be it known that I, E. L. PRATT, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an improvement in Tobacco-Cutters; and I do hereby declare that the following, taken in connection with the drawings which accompany and form part of this specification, is a description of my invention, suflicient to enable those skilled in the art to practise-it.

Letters Patent No. 65,006 were granted to me May 21, 1867,'for an improved tobacco-cutter, in which cutter there is employed a swinging plate or lever, against which the tobacco rests, a gauge-plate, against which the end of the tobacco is brought, and a knife or cutter, against which the tobacco is pressed by movement of the swinging lever; my invention, as described in said patent, consisting in the arrangement together of the gauge-plate, cutter, and swinging lever.-

My present invention relates to the same organization, the leverbeingin this case arranged to stand normally in a nearly horizontal instead of in a nearly vertical position, though by standing the machine on end the carrier would swing and operate in connection with the cutter and gauge-plate or throat-piece in precisely the same manner. 1 v v In the specific arrangement of the parts shown in said patent, the tobacco is fed by gravity to the action of the cutter, while in my present arrangement of the same general organization, the lever being hung in a nearly horizontal position, the tobacco may be fed 'either by gravity, by its slipping down against the gaugeplate or throat-piece when the handle is raised, or by being kept pressed up against said throat-piece or gaugeplate by hand. i v I My improvement in such tobacco-cutters consists partly in applying the throat-piece to standards just in front of the swing-lever, and below the stationary-cutter, in such manner that it may be slipped into and from position without detachment or loosening of any of its fastenings, it being, however, perfectly secure and stati'onary when acting as a throat-piece or gauge-plate and partly in providing the surface of the lover or carrier upon which the tobacco rests, and over which it is fed to the cutter, with a scale, by which the length of pieces out can be determined from the lever, without application of any measuring device.

The drawing represents my tobacco-cutter, with my new improvements embodied thereupon, A showing a side elevation, B a plan, and C, an end view of the same.

- n. denotes a base, supporting an iron frame, I), on the end face of which are secured the stationary cutter a, and the stationary throat-piece or gauge-plate d. e is the swing-lever or tobacco-holder, hung by pivots or journals f in bearings g, on the frame I), the front edge of this lever working closely in contact with the cuttingedge of the cutter c, when the handle it is pressed down, and passing below and in rear of the upper edge of the throat-piece (1, when the handle is raised, the cake of tobacco on the plate being pressed or allowed to slide against the gauge-plate when the handle is so raised, and being carried against the cutter when the handle i thrown back and thus cutting up the tobacco, as shown in my patent above referred to. i

As it is often necessary in tobacco stores to cut the tobacco into pieces of various lengths, in contradistinction to shaving it up into fine shavingsyit is desirable to have the throat-piece or gauge-plate capable of easy removal, so that the end of the tobacco may be thrust beyond the eutter.- To accomplish this, I make the gauge-plate with two oblong slots, it, one of which opens out to the end of the plate, and fasten the plate by screws in, which bind tightly enough to hold the plate stationary, or against any tendency to move in or out, or vertically, but which permit the plate to be'ieadily slid endwise to remove the plate from below the cutter, the plate then hanging as seen at C, and leaving the throat below the cutter free for passage. of the tobacco through, it being readily slid into and from position, without starting the screws. 7

On the upper surface of the lever e I make a series of scale marks, I, by which the length of tobacco projected beyond the cutter can be easily determined, the scale being divided into such subdivisions of a foot and inches, as may be required.

The frame a is east in one piece, as is also the lever e, and-as with the cutter and throat-piece, these constitute all the essential parts of the machine, excepting ordinary screw-pivots and fastenings, it will be seen that machines as thus arranged can be manufactured at very low cost, and their utility and efiiciency will be obvious without elucidation! I claim-- I The throat-piece or gauge-plate 01, made, held in position, and having provision for removal without start ing its fastenings, substantially as set forth.

Also, providing the swinging-lever or carrier 0 with scale-marks, substantially as shown and described.

' n. L. PRATT.

Witnesses:

J. B. CROSBY, FRANCIS Gounn. 

